Apparatus for producing a dough product topped with assorted toppings and a dough product

ABSTRACT

Apparatus for producing a flat dough product, in particular a pizza, topped with assorted toppings, is provided with a plurality of topping dispensers and at least one movable positioning mechanism, which is provided vertically below a plane spanned by the topping dispensers and to which a dough carrier is associated which may be supported such that it can rotate; the positioning mechanism actuated by an actuating mechanism to position the dough carrier underneath a topping dispenser to allow topping to be dispensed. The topping dispensers are arranged in a matrix configuration, distributed in two mutually perpendicular spatial directions x,y and the positioning mechanism is configured for positioning the dough carrier in the two mutually perpendicular spatial directions x,y corresponding to the matrix configuration. The topping dispensers are actuated passively to dispense topping by rotating the dough carrier and/or by means of the lifting mechanism.

The present application claims priority under 35 U.S.C. §120 toco-pending, commonly owned U.S. application Ser. No. 11/486,960, filed13 Jul. 2006, which in turn claims priority under 35 U.S.C. §119 toGerman Patent Application No. 10 2005 034 510.7-23, filed 20 Jul. 2005,the entirety of both of which are incorporated herein by reference as iffully set forth in their entireties.

SCOPE OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates in general to an apparatus and a processfor producing a dough product topped with various toppings oringredients, particularly a pizza, and relates in particular to such anapparatus and a corresponding process for producing pizzas andcomparable dough products with suitability for use in catering conceptscomparable to fast-food restaurants and also suitable for applicationsin themed restaurants.

BACKGROUND TO THE INVENTION

In small-scale catering, pizzas and comparable dough products areconventionally prepared and sold individually. The production ofindividually topped pizzas is comparatively labor intensive. In largerpizza restaurants, it is precisely this fact that has led to a strictdivision of labor, according to which one person kneads the dough andlays it on trays, another person adds the ingredients or toppings byhand and a further person bakes the pizza in an oven, in particular alsoin a wood-burning oven. Finally the pizza is served, althoughalternatively it can be placed in an insulated box for delivery. Only insmaller pizza restaurants is a single person responsible for the entireproduction of the pizza. It is a commonly observed feature of pizzarestaurants that the person responsible for this prepares the pizza inthe kitchen in view of the restaurant guests, with the aim ofheightening the experience of the restaurant visit. A mechanical orautomated production of pizzas and comparable dough products isdesirable on cost grounds. However, corresponding concepts exist onlyfor large-scale catering and in particular also for the production offrozen pizzas. Conventionally a ready-rolled pizza dough, usually afrozen dough, is carried on a conveyor sequentially past toppingdispensers, where toppings or ingredients are dispensed onto the doughaccording to the variety of pizza required. Corresponding concepts aredisclosed in the following patents, for example: U.S. Pat. No. 6,546,847B2, U.S. Pat. No. 6,245,370 B1, U.S. Pat. No. 4,197,794 and U.S. Pat.No. 4,060,027. Such concepts are not suitable for small-scale catering,however, as the purchase and running costs are too high and thenecessary size of the apparatus is too large. A further disadvantagelies in the fact that individual production of pizzas, which isprecisely what is required in small-scale catering, is not feasible withsuch concepts. If, for example, a customer wants a comparatively thickpizza dough baked until crisp, with a very individual selection oftoppings and topping quantities, this can easily be done by hand.Automated concepts for such an individual production of pizzas arescarcely known from the prior art, however.

U.S. Pat. No. 5,921,170 A discloses an apparatus for producing pizzaswhich replicates the traditional production of a pizza by a person asclosely as possible to allow the pizzas to be produced as individuallyas possible. The central element of such an apparatus is a centrallylocated, rotating positioning mechanism with a star-shaped arrangementof supporting arms carrying a number of rotating positioning plates, onwhich are held circular trays containing the pizza dough. Distributedaround the centrally located positioning mechanism in what is describedas a “revolver” arrangement there is a plurality of topping dispensers.By turning the rotating positioning mechanism, the trays positioned onthe supporting arms with the pizza dough can be turned selectively toappropriate topping dispensers. An individually created pizza can thusbe obtained by moving it past the various topping dispensers.

However, the revolver arrangement of topping dispensers used in thisconcept does not in principle allow a large number of different toppingdispensers to be distributed around the center of rotation of theapparatus. This dramatically reduces the maximum number of differentvarieties of pizza that can be produced. Mixed toppings, for examplediced ham and cheese cubes combined, must therefore be dispensed from asingle topping dispenser, further restricting the diversity and flavorsthat can be obtained. The positioning of the pizza doughs underneath thetopping dispensers is comparatively difficult and can only be achievedwith an appropriate choice of angle of the supporting arms and radialposition of the dough carriers. This requires special mechanisms andcontrol systems, which further increases the costs of the apparatus.Nevertheless, a precisely indexed positioning of the dough carriers inthe chosen revolver arrangement frequently cannot be reliablyguaranteed. Furthermore, the distance between the dough carrier and thelower end of the topping dispenser is comparatively large, causing theapparatus to become soiled and hence leading to unnecessary cleaningcosts.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

It is an object of the present invention to provide an apparatus withwhich flat dough products can be topped individually at low cost, andwith low purchase and maintenance costs for the apparatus. According tofurther aspects of the present invention, a corresponding productionprocess and a topped dough product, in particular pizza, with an evenmore convenient arrangement of toppings are to be provided.

The present invention thus proceeds with an apparatus for producing aflat dough product topped with assorted toppings, in particular a pizza,comprising a plurality of topping dispensers and at least one movingpositioning mechanism, which is provided vertically below a planespanned by the topping dispensers and to which a dough carrier isassociated, the positioning mechanism being actuated by an actuatingmechanism in order to position the dough carrier underneath a toppingdispenser to allow topping to be dispensed.

According to the present invention, the topping dispensers in anapparatus of the above type are arranged in a matrix configuration,distributed in two mutually perpendicular spatial directions, and thepositioning mechanism enables selectively positioning the dough carrierin the two mutually perpendicular spatial directions in correspondenceto the matrix configuration. The chosen matrix configuration allows thecontainers to be packed very tightly according to the invention, suchthat considerable installation space can be saved, yet at the same timea large number of different topping types can be obtained. Furthermore,the clearly articulated alignment of the containers in two mutuallyperpendicular spatial directions simplifies considerably the indexedpositioning of the dough carrier holding the dough, since high-precisionindexed x,y positioning mechanisms are obtainable at modest cost and anindexed adjustment can be executed quickly and precisely.

The containers are thus preferably arranged at the points ofintersection of mutually perpendicular rows and columns of a matrixconfiguration. Naturally the rows and columns of the above matrixconfiguration can also be positioned at an angle other than at rightangles to one another and the matrix configuration can also be formed ina different way from that described above. Simple and rapid positioningwithin the meaning of the invention can always be achieved withoutdifficulty provided that the containers are positioned in a regulararrangement, in other words at regular, preferably equidistant,intervals from one another.

According to a further embodiment, the dough carriers are supported insuch a way that they can rotate. This allows a yet more evendistribution of the toppings and/or ingredients on the dough by rotatingthe dough as they are dispensed. Furthermore, by rotating the doughcarrier and assembly against a complementary part, for example against adoctor blade, a piece of dough or topping positioned thereon can also beevened out easily into a round, circular dough or circular topping layerof a uniform thickness.

According to a further embodiment, guidance means such as for exampleguide rails, guide rods and the like, can be provided, which are alignedexactly parallel to the two mutually perpendicular spatial directions orare aligned corresponding to the aforementioned matrix configuration.Carriages or slides of the x,y positioning mechanism can thus be guidedand supported substantially without play on these guidance means. Inparticular, the guidance means can allow the dough carriers to bepositioned quickly underneath a predetermined container.

According to a further embodiment, the positioning mechanism may furthercomprise a lifting mechanism for raising and lowering the dough carrier,the dispensing of topping by a topping dispenser being triggered bypositioning the dough carrier underneath the topping dispenser andraising the dough carrier until a predetermined distance or aninfinitesimal distance between the dough carrier and a lower end of thetopping dispenser is reached. In this way topping is only dispensed whena predetermined distance between the dough carrier and the lower end ofthe container or topping dispenser is reached.

Considerable advantages arise according to a further embodiment if thetopping dispensers are actuated passively, because actuating mechanismscan thus be eliminated.

According to a further embodiment, the positioning mechanism and thetopping dispensers are configured such that the dispensing of topping bythe individual topping dispenser is only triggered when the doughcarrier is positioned in a predetermined manner relative to theparticular topping dispenser. An inadvertent dispensing of topping canthus be reliably avoided and the topping thus dispensed in a verycontrolled manner.

According to a further embodiment, the dough carrier and/or thepositioning mechanism comprises an engaging means for engaging in acorrespondingly formed release means provided on the lower end of eachtopping dispenser, the topping dispenser being designed in such a waythat topping can only be dispensed if the engaging means and releasemeans are mutually engaged or are interacting. A mechanical means ofcontrol for triggering the dispensing of topping is obtained in this wayby simple means.

According to a further embodiment, the engaging means can be formed asan extension piece with a latching recess on the peripheral edge of thedough carrier and the release means as a snap-in lug on the lower end ofthe topping dispenser.

According to a further embodiment, the engaging means can also comprisea coupling element for coupling to a topping dispenser, the couplingelement when engaged with the release means being located on arotational axis of the dough carrier and the topping dispenser and beingdesigned as a rotary actuator for a release mechanism on the toppingdispenser.

According to a further embodiment, the release mechanism can be coupledto or can form a closing element on the lower end of the toppingdispenser to close the topping dispenser.

According to a further embodiment, when the dough carrier is raised theengaging means engaged with the release means can move the closingelement vertically to allow topping to be dispensed and/or conditioned.

According to a further embodiment, a disc provided with cut-outs andsupported in such a way that it can rotate about a longitudinal axis ofthe container, along with a closing element, can be provided in thelower end region of at least one topping dispenser such that the toppingdispensing rate can be controlled by the angle between the cut-outs andthe corresponding slot, by the thickness of the disc and/or by the speedof rotation of the disc.

According to a further embodiment, the disc can have a plurality ofcut-outs of varying size which in particular are disposed around thedisc at uniform angular and/or radial intervals.

According to a further embodiment, the dough carrier can be designed tohold a freeform dough, in particular pizza dough.

According to a further embodiment, the dough carrier also has aconveying mechanism to transfer a topped dough to a downstreamprocessing station.

According to a further embodiment, the conveying mechanism is in theform of a conveyor belt which crosses a support surface on the upper endof the dough carrier so that dough can be laid directly on the conveyorbelt.

According to a further embodiment, the above conveying mechanismcomprises at least one roller extending tangentially to the doughcarrier, preferably also a second roller aligned perpendicular to thefirst, each roller being countersunk into a groove in the supportsurface of the dough carrier.

According to a further embodiment, the apparatus also comprises ahousing with an associated refrigerating device, at least some of thetopping dispensers and preferably the entire apparatus including alltopping dispensers being located inside the housing.

According to a further embodiment, the refrigerating device is designedto cool the interior of the housing to a temperature in the rangebetween 2° C. and 7° C.

According to a further embodiment, at least one of the toppingdispensers can be cooled to temperatures below 0° C.

According to a further aspect of the present invention there is provideda process for producing a flat dough product topped with assortedtoppings, in particular a pizza, by means of an apparatus comprising aplurality of topping dispensers arranged in a matrix configuration,distributed in two mutually perpendicular spatial directions, and amovable positioning mechanism which is provided vertically below a planespanned by the topping dispensers and to which a dough carrier,preferably supported in such a way that it can rotate, is associated. Inthis process a piece of dough is placed on the dough carrier and thedough carrier is positioned sequentially underneath selected toppingdispensers, the dispensing of topping by the individual toppingdispenser being triggered only when the dough carrier is positionedrelative to the topping dispenser in a predetermined manner.

According to a further embodiment, the dispensing of topping by atopping dispenser is triggered by positioning the dough carrierunderneath the topping dispenser and by raising the dough carrier untila predetermined distance or an infinitesimal distance between the doughcarrier and a lower end of the topping dispenser is reached.

According to a further embodiment, the topping dispenser is actuatedpassively by the positioning mechanism and/or the dough carrier todispense topping.

According to a further embodiment, the dispensing of topping istriggered by the mutual engagement of the dough carrier and/or thepositioning mechanism with a lower end of a topping dispenser.

According to a further embodiment, one of the topping dispensers isdesigned to dispense salami slices, a salami slice supply for dispensingsalami slices being positioned eccentrically to the dough carrier and aplurality of salami slices being dispensed and distributed in at leastone concentric circle on the dough by rotating the dough carrier aboutits rotational axis. Such a precise arrangement of toppings, such assalami slices for example, in one or more concentric circles, couldhitherto not be achieved according to the prior art.

According to a further embodiment, the salami slices are distributed atpredetermined constant angular intervals around the concentric circle.

According to a further embodiment, the salami slice supply is radiallyadjustable or comprises a plurality of salami slice dispensingmechanisms arranged in various radial positions such that the salamislices can be dispensed and distributed on the dough in at least twoconcentric circles of differing radii by rotating the dough carrierabout its rotational axis.

According to a further embodiment, the salami slice supply comprises atleast one salami sausage and the salami slices are separated from thesalami sausage by a slicing mechanism, the slicing mechanism beingactuated by rotational motion by rotating the dough carrier.

According to a further embodiment, two or more centrosymmetricalconfigurations of three salami slices, each having trigonal symmetry,aligned at constant angular intervals to one another, are distributed intwo or more concentric circles on the dough.

According to a further embodiment, two or more centrosymmetricalconfigurations of four salami slices, each having tetragonal symmetry,aligned at constant angular intervals to one another, are distributed intwo or more concentric circles on the dough.

According to a further embodiment, a total of nine salami slices aredistributed on the dough, two centrosymmetrical configurations of threesalami slices, each having trigonal symmetry, being distributed at anangular interval of 45° to one another in a first circle and a furtheroffset centrosymmetrical configuration of three further salami sliceshaving trigonal symmetry being distributed in a second concentric circleof a differing radius.

A further aspect of the present invention relates to a flat doughproduct, in particular pizza, on which are distributed assortedtoppings, preferably produced by the process described above, on whichare distributed a plurality of salami slices. According to the presentinvention two or more centrosymmetrical configurations of three salamislices, each having trigonal symmetry, aligned at constant angularintervals to one another, are distributed in two or more concentriccircles on the dough product.

A further aspect of the present invention relates to a flat doughproduct, in particular pizza, on which are distributed assortedtoppings, preferably produced by the process described above, on whichare arranged a plurality of salami slices. According to the presentinvention two or more centrosymmetrical configurations of four salamislices, each having tetragonal symmetry, aligned at constant angularintervals to one another, are distributed in two or more concentriccircles on the dough product.

A further aspect of the present invention relates to a flat doughproduct, in particular pizza, on which are distributed assortedtoppings, preferably produced by the process described above, on whichare arranged a plurality of salami slices. According to the presentinvention a total of nine salami slices are distributed on the doughproduct, two centrosymmetrical configurations of three salami slices,each having trigonal symmetry, being distributed at an angular intervalof 45° to one another in a first circle and a further offsetcentrosymmetrical configuration of three further salami slices havingtrigonal symmetry being distributed in a second concentric circle of adiffering radius.

BRIEF OVERVIEW ON THE DRAWINGS

The invention is described below by way of example and with reference tothe attached figures, which reveal additional features, advantages andobjects to be solved and in which:

FIGS. 1 a and 1 b provide a schematic side view and top view of anapparatus according to the present invention;

FIGS. 2 a and 2 b provide a schematic sectional view and side viewshowing details of the positioning mechanism in the apparatus as shownin FIGS. 1 a and 1 b including a lifting mechanism for raising andlowering a dough carrier;

FIG. 3 provides a schematic block diagram of the substantial elements ofthe apparatus according to the present invention including a controlunit;

FIG. 4 provides a schematic flow chart summarizing the steps involved inthe process according to the invention;

FIGS. 5 a-5 c provide schematic top views of a pizza produced by theprocess according to the present invention with the configurationaccording to the present invention of salami slices; and

FIGS. 6 a and 6 b provide schematic top views of a dispensing templateprovided at the lower end of a supply container.

Identical reference numbers in the figures indicate identical elementsor groups of elements or substantially equivalent elements or groups ofelements.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF A PREFERRED EXEMPLARY EMBODIMENT

As shown in FIG. 1 a, the production apparatus identified as a whole byreference number 1 comprises a plurality of containers 8, 9 whose lowerends are substantially in alignment such that they span a plane. As canbe seen from FIGS. 1 a and 1 b, the plurality of containers 8, 9 aredistributed in a rectangular matrix configuration in two mutuallyperpendicular spatial directions x,y. The distances between thecontainers 8, 9 in the spatial directions x,y are constant, whichsimplifies considerably the positioning of the pizza dough. Thecontainers 8, 9 are closed at the top with a lid 11, although this isnot absolutely essential. At least some of the containers 8, 9 cool theingredients held within them to suitable temperatures, as required byhygiene regulations for instance, for example to temperatures in therange between around 2° C. and 7° C., or alternatively to sub-zerotemperatures in order to dispense frozen ingredients, for example cheesecubes. Alternatively, at least some of the containers can be housed in arefrigerated housing, for example in the housing 10 indicated by thedashed line in FIG. 1 a. The entire pizza topping apparatus 1 is mostparticularly preferably housed in a refrigerated space, thereby avoidingthe need to cool containers 8, 9 individually. For applications inthemed restaurants, the entire apparatus can also be housed in arefrigerated space in such a way that at least parts of the apparatus,in particular the pizza topping apparatus 1, are visible from theoutside to visitors to a restaurant. Most particularly preferably alsoin such a way that the positioning mechanism 30 described hereafter isalso visible from the outside to visitors to a restaurant.

As can be seen from FIGS. 1 a and 1 b, the containers 8, 9 are arrangedin as tightly packed a matrix configuration as possible, in which theycan almost touch one another. The containers 8, 9 hold assorted toppingsor ingredients. More commonly used ingredients, such as tomato sauce andcheese cubes, can be held in preferentially arranged containers that arevery easily accessed from the outside for refilling, for example in thecontainers 9 positioned at the left-hand end of the apparatus 1.Frequently used toppings can naturally also be held in a plurality ofcontainers 8, 9. As will immediately be apparent to the person skilledin the art, the upper end of the containers 8, 9 can be connected to asupply mechanism to ensure that the containers 8, 9 are alwaysadequately filled.

As shown in FIG. 1 a the apparatus 1 is mounted on a frame 3 with aspace below the plane on which the containers 8, 9 lie. On the base ofthe frame 3, as shown in FIG. 1 a, an x-longitudinal guide 4, forexample a guide rail, is provided, in which the carriage or slide 31 iscarried in the x-direction. The x-longitudinal guide 4 is alignedparallel to the x-rows of the matrix configuration of containers 8, 9,which simplifies considerably the positioning of the dough carrier 39.On the carriage or slide 31 there are two guide rails 32 extending inthe y-direction, along which the carriage 33 can be carried and moved inthe y-direction. The guide rails 32 are aligned exactly in they-direction and hence exactly parallel to the y-rows of the matrixconfiguration of containers 8, 9, which simplifies considerably thepositioning of the dough carrier 39. An actuating mechanism 5 isassociated to the x-carriage 31 and a y-actuating mechanism 44 to they-carriage 33. The actuating mechanisms 5, 44 are operated by a controlprogram executed in a central control unit 71 (see FIG. 3) which allowsan indexed movement of the carriages 31, 33 to position the doughcarrier 39 in the two mutually perpendicular spatial directions x,y incorrespondence to the matrix configuration of containers 8, 9. Furtherdetails of the positioning mechanism 30 are described below in moredetail with reference to FIGS. 2 a and 2 b.

To produce a pizza, a suitable pizza dough is first positioned on thedough carrier 39, as described in more detail below. This can occur atthe right-hand end of the topping apparatus 1, for example, by means ofa dough delivery station (not shown). The positioning mechanism 30 thenmoves the dough carrier 39 in an indexed sequence corresponding to thematrix configuration of the containers 8, 9 and according to a controlprogram which calculates the traverse paths according to the toppings tobe applied. The aim in principle is to minimize the overall distance tobe traveled. The problem of the sequential actuation of the containers8, 9 for the dispensing of toppings is comparable to the familiar“traveling salesman problem”, so corresponding optimization algorithmscan be used to calculate the traverse path. The traverse pathscalculated in this way can also be stored in advance in a memory modulein the central control unit, as described in more detail hereafter.

After the dough carrier 39 has been moved sequentially underneath thecorresponding containers 8, 9 to dispense the toppings and all thedesired toppings have been positioned appropriately on the pizza dough,the positioning mechanism finally moves to a front corner position,where a slider 13 which can swivel about a vertical swivel axis 14finally slides the assembled pizza onto a conveyor belt 21 to thedownstream pizza oven 2. The conveyor belt 21 moves at a suitable speedin the x-direction so that the pizza is baked appropriately in the oveninterior 24 by means of the heating device 23. Finally the baked pizzareaches the front conveyor roller 22 of the conveyor belt 21, where adelivery mechanism and finishing station 25 is provided in the knownmanner as described in more detail hereafter.

The dimensions in millimeters in FIGS. 1 a and 1 b are given by way ofexample only. It can be concluded from these however that an apparatusfor producing pizzas can be implemented with a very compact designaccording to the invention. As shown in FIG. 1 b the 24 containers 8, 9are arranged on a base measuring just 1700×2500 mm. The apparatus canthus easily be used even in small restaurants.

The positioning of the dough carrier and the dispensing of assortedtoppings is described hereafter in more detail with reference to FIGS. 2a, 2 b, 6 a and 6 b. As shown in FIG. 2 a a lifting mechanism is locatedon the y-carriage 33 of the positioning mechanism 30 to raise and lowerthe plate-shaped dough carrier 39 in the z-direction. The liftingmechanism is a hydraulic lifting mechanism and comprises an upperlifting cylinder 35, which is supported in an oil bath in the lowerlifting cylinder 34 in such a way that it can move longitudinally in thez-direction. The lifting rod 36 serves to move the upper liftingcylinder 35 vertically in the known manner. By virtue of the hydraulicmechanism the dough carrier 39 can be subjected to a very high load inthe vertical direction, which is advantageous if so-called freeformpizza doughs are used, which are shaped from a piece of raw dough withvertical stamping and kneading on the dough carrier 39 to form a pizzadough. On the upper end of the dough carrier 39 there is a flat supportsurface 40, on which the pizza dough (not shown) is laid flat. The doughpreferably lies directly on the support surface 40 or on a conveyor beltwhich crosses part or preferably also all of it. In FIG. 2 a thisconveyor belt, which later serves to remove the assembled pizza, isindicated only schematically by reference number 41. More specifically,the conveyor belt 41 runs in a continuous loop around a driving roller42 and a plurality of driven rollers. Activating the driving roller 42initiates the onward transport of the assembled pizza. As shown in FIG.2 a the conveyor belt 41 is countersunk in a longitudinal slot formed inthe support surface 40 so that the upper side of the conveyor belt 41 isin contact with the lower side of the pizza dough. In order to removethe pizza dough, the rollers of the conveyor belt 41 can also beslightly adjustable in the z-direction. According to an alternativeembodiment (not shown), there can also be at least one longitudinal slotprovided in the support surface 40 of the dough carrier 39, in which atransport roller is countersunk tangentially to the round dough carrier39 so that the peripheral surface of the transport roller just touchesthe underside of the pizza dough. Naturally two such transport rollerscan also be positioned at right angles to each other, in other words onetransport roller positioned tangentially and one transport rollerradially, so that not only can the assembled pizza be removed radiallybut the unfinished pizza can also be rotated on the support surface 40by the two rollers about the rotational axis 38.

In the embodiment according to FIG. 2 a the dough carrier 39 issupported on the upper lifting cylinder 35 in such a way that it canrotate about the vertical rotational axis 38. Alternatively oradditionally, the upper lifting cylinder 35 too can be supported in sucha way that it can rotate. A rotary drive 37, which is operated byappropriate means by the central control unit (see FIG. 3), isassociated to the dough carrier 39 in order to rotate the dough carrier39 and the pizza dough resting on its support surface 40 about thevertical rotational axis 38 in a suitable manner.

In the exemplary embodiment according to FIG. 2 a, the dispensing oftopping from the container 8 is only triggered when the dough carrier 39is raised until it reaches a predetermined maximum distance or an almostinfinitesimal distance between the support surface 40 or the upper sideof the pizza dough positioned thereon and a lower end of the container,in which is provided a topping dispenser as described in more detailhereafter. In other words, when the lifting mechanism is in its homeposition, with the dough carrier 39 moved vertically down, the doughcarrier 39 is moved in an indexed sequence in the x,y directioncorresponding to the matrix configuration of containers until the doughcarrier 39 is positioned exactly underneath the container 8 requested bythe control program being executed. The lifting mechanism then raisesthe dough carrier 39, with the pizza dough resting on its supportsurface 40, in an exactly vertical direction to trigger the dispensingof topping or ingredients.

In the exemplary embodiment according to FIG. 2 a, the topping dispenserresponsible for dispensing topping is actuated passively by moving thedough carrier 39 in the vertical direction (z) and/or by rotating thedough carrier 39 about the vertical rotational axis 38. On account ofthe vertical lifting of the dough carrier 39 there is only a small gapbetween the dough carrier 39 and the lower end of the container 8, whichminimizes the risk of soiling of the apparatus. According to alternativeembodiments (not shown), the position, in particular the heightposition, of the dough carrier 39 can be detected or sensed and thedispensing of topping actuated electronically by a controller associatedto each container, although this is more complex. Any mechanical,electronic, optical, in particular optoelectronic, or magnetic sensingdevices, such as are adequately known to the person skilled in the artfrom the prior art, are suitable in principle for detecting the positionof the dough carrier 39.

The triggering of the dispensing of topping by appropriate heightadjustment of the dough carrier is described in more detail hereafterwith reference to FIGS. 2 a and 2 b. In the exemplary embodimentaccording to FIG. 2 a a topping dispenser provided at the lower end ofthe container 8 is mechanically coupled to the dough carrier 39 and thepositioning mechanism 30 when a suitable position of the dough carrier39 in the x,y plane and in the vertical direction (z) is reached. Forthe mechanical coupling suitable mechanical coupling devices areprovided on the dough carrier 39 and on the lower end of the container8, which interact in an appropriate way to bring about the dispensing oftopping. On studying the present application, numerous possible variantsfor such a mechanical coupling will immediately become apparent to theperson skilled in the art. By way of example, FIG. 2 a discloses apositive locking arrangement of elements according to which at least onevertical extension piece 43, within which a recess is formed, isprovided on the peripheral edge of the plate-shaped dough carrier 39. Bypreference, a plurality of such extension pieces 43 is distributedaround the perimeter of the dough carrier 39, conveniently at constantangular intervals. As shown in FIG. 2 a, a container receiver 54 with atleast one extension piece 55 projecting radially from it is provided onthe lower end of the container 8. The container receiver 54 is connectedto a flange 51, on the peripheral edge of which at least one snap-in lug52 extends downwards with a spur corresponding to the recess in theextension piece 43. When the spur on the front end of the extensionpiece 51 engages positively in the recess in the extension piece 43 andthe dough carrier 39 is raised further in a vertical direction, thetopping dispenser on the lower end of the container 8 is finally coupledmechanically to the dough carrier 39 and the positioning mechanism 30.

More specifically, as shown in FIG. 2 a, the flange 51 is coupled to thelower end of the container 8 in such a way that by raising the doughcarrier 39 further, the nozzle 58 on the container base 57 is releasedto dispense tomato sauce or a comparable product in paste form onto thedough, either in the position shown in FIG. 2 a or distributed over theentire dough by means of a plurality of dispensing openings. Theaforementioned mechanical coupling can also be made with a metering base60 provided in the container 8, which is coupled to a closure 59 at thedispensing end of the nozzle 58 in such a way that a predeterminedquantity of tomato sauce or product is dispensed from the nozzle 58 orfrom the plurality of dispensing openings in the container base 57. Thisquantity can be influenced in particular also by the vertical positionof the dough carrier 39.

In the exemplary embodiment according to FIG. 2 a the dispensed toppingcan also be evened out further by rotating the dough carrier 39 aboutthe vertical rotational axis 38. This rotational movement can take placeduring or after the dispensing of the topping. To this end in thisexemplary embodiment an annular inner face is provided on the undersideof the flange 51, which when the dough carrier 39 is in a suitablevertical position is virtually in contact with the dispensed topping. Inthe case of the dispensing of tomato sauce, for example, the clearancebetween the top of the pizza dough and the inner face 53 would be chosento be comparatively small. In this suitably chosen vertical position thetopping can be evened out circumferentially on the dough, preferablyacross the entire surface, by rotating the dough carrier 39 with thedough (not shown) supported thereon in such a way that it does notrotate.

To dispense granular, powdered or chopped toppings, very differentdispensing conditions can be obtained with the apparatus according tothe invention, since the height and angle of the dough carrier 39 can bevaried significantly. To dispense the last-named toppings from a supplycontainer, for example, it can be convenient for a closing element onthe container base to be released or lifted, folded back, turned away orsimilar by the mechanical coupling of the dough carrier to the lower endof the supply container, for example in the aforementioned mechanicalway, and for the topping to then be dispensed in a metered manner. Tometer out the topping, a dispensing template, which is described in moredetail hereafter with reference to FIGS. 6 a and 6 b, can be providedinside the container at the lower end.

As shown in FIG. 6 a, the dispensing template 100, which is circular inshape corresponding to the inner cross-section of the associatedcontainer, contains a plurality of cut-outs 102, 103 of varying size.Topping stored in the container can fall vertically downwards throughthese cut-outs 102, 103. The dispensing template 100 is supported at thecenter of rotation 101 in such a way that it can rotate about thelongitudinal axis 50 of the container (see FIG. 2 a) and the verticalaxis 38 of the dough carrier 39 (see FIG. 2 a) which aligns thereto. Therotary actuator for the dispensing template can be provided by aspecially provided rotary actuator on the container itself, althoughthat would be costly. It is therefore preferable for the dispensingtemplate to be actuated passively by rotating the dough carrier 39, towhich end a mechanical coupling of the dough carrier and dispensingtemplate, for example in the aforementioned manner, can be provided. Aswill be immediately apparent to the person skilled in the art, thetopping dispensing rate can be influenced in an appropriate way usingsimple parameters, such as for example the configuration and angle ofthe cut-outs, the thickness of the disc 100 and/or by the speed ofrotation of the disc 100, by means of the control program being executedin the central control unit, for example.

After a suitable dispensing of topping, the dispensing template 100 ismoved out of engagement with the dough carrier by rapid lowering of thedough carrier, and at the same time the closing element provided on thecontainer base is activated to close the container. FIG. 6 b shows afurther example of a dispensing template in which three pairs ofcut-outs of varying size 102-104 are arranged in radial alignment. Asshown in FIG. 6 b, the further the cut-outs 102-104 radiate out from thecenter, the wider they open. In this way a very constant amount oftopping, in particular sauce topping or topping in paste form, can bedispensed and distributed over the entire surface of the dough if thedispensing template 100 and the dough are rotated relative to oneanother to dispense the topping.

FIG. 2 b shows a further example of a mechanical coupling of the doughcarrier to a topping dispenser. Above the crossbar 64 used formechanical coupling in the manner described above, a slicing blade 63 isprovided with which a salami slice can be sliced from a salami sausageheld in the container 8 by rotating the slicing blade 63. The rotationalmovement of the slicing blade 63 is actuated passively by rotating thedough carrier 39.

A unique particularly convenient arrangement of salami slices can beobtained according to the present invention on a pizza base through thefeature according to the present invention whereby the dough carrier canbe rotated independently about the vertical rotational axis. Not onlycan this arrangement give a particularly aesthetic impression to thecustomer, which can increase the sales value of the pizza, but it alsoserves technical purposes too. In particular, with a particularlybalanced arrangement of salami slices a particularly uniform crust canbe achieved on the pizza when it is baked in the pizza oven. The flavortoo can be improved considerably with a particularly balancedarrangement of salami slices. Finally, an optimally distributedarrangement of salami slices on the pizza dough can also bring about aconsiderable cost saving.

FIGS. 5 a to 5 c summarize three arrangements of salami slices on apizza dough which are preferred according to the invention. According toFIG. 5 a, three salami slices are arranged on the circular pizza base 90in an outer circle 92, which is concentric to the center of rotation 91of the pizza base 90, at uniform angular intervals, and three furthersalami slices 96 are arranged in a further concentric circle 93 with asmaller radius, again at uniform angular intervals. The arrangement ofthe salami slices 94, 96 on the concentric circles 92, 93 can berealized by positioning the pizza base 90 centrally on the dough carrierand by rotating the dough carrier to dispense the salami slices from acontainer, it being important to ensure that the center of rotation 91of the pizza base 90 is aligned with the longitudinal axis of thecontainer. The arrangement of salami slices in various concentriccircles can also be realized in particular by positioning several salamisausages in the salami container eccentrically to and at differing radiifrom the center of rotation 91, such that the slicing blade slices thesalami slices uniformly as the dough carrier rotates. Naturally severalsalami dispensing stations can also be provided eccentrically to thecenter of rotation 91 and at differing radii.

As shown in FIG. 5 a, the salami slices are distributed in twocentrosymmetrical configurations, each having trigonal symmetry, in twodifferent concentric circles, and at constant angular intervals. Theconfiguration formed by the salami slices 94, corresponding to thetrigonal symmetry, is offset by 45° relative to the configuration formedby the salami slices 96.

FIG. 5 b shows a corresponding arrangement of a total of 8 salami slices94, 96 on the dough base 90 and FIG. 5 c shows a comparable arrangementof a total of 9 salami slices 94, 96 on the dough base 90.

The control and operation of the apparatus according to the presentinvention are described hereafter by way of example with reference toFIGS. 3 and 4. As shown in FIG. 3, the apparatus comprises a processcontroller 70 with a central control unit 71, for example a CPU, whichcontrols all stations in the apparatus centrally. The process controlleris described hereafter by means of an example which is suitable forfranchising concepts for fast-food pizza restaurants. The processcontroller accordingly comprises a central menu selector 73 in which thedifferent varieties of pizzas and/or toppings are clearly displayed.This can be achieved with a screen display for example, in particular atouch-sensitive screen. The menu selector 73 can either be operated by amember of staff, as is conventional in fast-food restaurants, or inother embodiments by the end consumer himself or herself. On the menuselector 73 a number of selection fields are displayed which have to beactuated, for example by touch, in order to select them. The menuselection commands are then transmitted to the central control unit 71,where a corresponding control program is already stored in a memory orone is calculated.

The control unit 71 then triggers the dough delivery station 74 todeliver a pizza dough of a suitable consistency and thickness. The pizzadough can be shaped in a suitable way from a piece of dough by kneading,etc. (known as freeform pizza dough). Or the pizza dough can bedelivered as frozen pizza dough. The delivered pizza dough can also bepre-baked in an oven before the toppings are applied. The pizza dough isplaced directly on the rotating dough carrier of the positioningmechanism. The control unit 71 then controls the positioning mechanism30 in an appropriate way in order to position the dough underneathselected containers and to trigger the dispensing of toppings in themanner described above, in particular by means of a mechanical couplingof the dough carrier to a topping dispenser at the lower end of eachcontainer.

Once the appropriate topping dispensing stations have been visited, theassembled pizza is transferred to an oven 2, where by means ofappropriate additional processing the pizza is baked until ready. Thebaked pizza is then transferred to appropriate finishing stations, inparticular a slicing mechanism 78 to slice it into portions, aheat-retaining device 79 to keep the baked pizza warm until it is packedor eaten and/or a delivery device 80. The latter can be designed toplace the pizza in an insulated box, a paper bag, etc. The control unit71 can then actuate a labeling unit 81 to apply a suitable label, forexample an alphanumeric code or a barcode. The central control unit 71can also actuate a voucher output system 82 to produce a voucherappropriate to the particular restaurant concept, for example a papersales slip, an RF tag, etc.

For self-service applications a payment device 72 can also be provided,which accepts coins, notes or non-paper money, such as debit cards orcredit cards for example, for payment and only initiates a process toproduce a pizza once the necessary payment has been made.

As shown in FIG. 3, the central control unit 71 can further be coupledto a service module 83, which continuously monitors the operating statusof the installation and initiates maintenance measures, in particularself-cleaning programs, or alerts service personnel if necessary. Aninterface 84 for data exchange, via the internet or a network connectionfor example, can also be provided, via which important operating datacan be exchanged with the process controller 70 and continuouslymonitored. Such an interface can in particular be used for efficientproduct management, such that ingredients and toppings and otherconsumables, in particular packaging, preprinted sales slips, slicingblades and the like, can be ordered automatically and in good time.

FIG. 4 provides a clear summary of the substantial process steps forproducing a pizza. The process begins with a menu selection (step 51)such that the end consumer himself or herself or member of staff in themanner of fast-food restaurants individually selects a pizza to beproduced, in particular by choosing ingredients and toppings, thicknessof dough, amount of ingredients or toppings, baking parameters, etc.Then in step S2 a control program is calculated to control thepositioning mechanism, the lifting mechanism, the rotary drive for thedough carrier and the voucher output devices. A continuous monitoringsystem for the fill level of the containers (step S3) determines whetherthe requested pizza can also actually be produced. If this is not thecase, the program is stopped or, initiated by the central control unit,the corresponding container is refilled from a supply station or bychanging the container. The control program then initiates the processfor producing the pizza, as a consequence of which the pizza dough isdelivered and processed in the manner described above (step S4), thentransferred to the pizza topping apparatus (step S5), then topped withthe ingredients and toppings selected in the menu selection (step S1),under the control of the control program being executed in the centralcontrol unit (step S6), then optionally finished (step S7), for exampleby evening out the toppings or ingredients by rotating, spreading, etc.,the assembled pizza is then transferred to a heat treatment station, inparticular an oven (step S8), the heat treatment completed (step S9) andthen in the manner described above the pizza is finished and processedin an appropriate manner (step S10). The control program then returns toits initial state.

As will immediately become apparent to the person skilled in the art onstudying the present description, a new pizza dough can be produced inthe dough delivery station whilst a previous pizza dough is being toppedin the pizza topping apparatus, baked in the heat treatment station orfinished in the finishing station. This further reduces the cycle timefor the apparatus according to the invention. Naturally any choice ofingredients or toppings can be applied to the dough, the following beinglisted by way of example: sauces and other products in paste form,vegetables, meat, such as for example salami slices, ham slices, andfish. The ingredients and toppings can be stored at room temperature orat lower temperatures, in particular also at sub-zero temperatures. Theingredients and toppings can be applied to the dough in any form andquantity and arrangement, in particular also as diced, granular,powdered or chopped material. The apparatus according to the presentinvention is naturally suitable for any dough geometry, which does nothave to be circular but can also be differently shaped, in particularsquare, triangular or polygonal.

As used herein, the term “salami” is intended to include salami, forexample, Italian salami, pepperoni and other sausage-like foodpreparations which may be sliced and used in preparation of productssuch as pizza.

1. An apparatus for producing a flat dough product topped with assortedtoppings, comprising: a plurality of topping dispensers for dispensingtopping; and at least one movable positioning mechanism, which isprovided vertically below a plane spanned by said plurality of toppingdispensers, a dough carrier being associated with said positioningmechanism; said positioning mechanism being actuated by an actuatingmechanism in order to position the dough carrier underneath a selectedone of said plurality of topping dispensers to allow topping to bedispensed; in which apparatus said plurality of topping dispensers arearranged in a matrix configuration, distributed in two mutuallyperpendicular spatial directions, and said positioning mechanismselectively positioning said dough carrier in the two mutuallyperpendicular spatial directions in correspondence to said matrixconfiguration.
 2. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the doughcarrier is rotatably supported.
 3. The apparatus according to claim 1,wherein the positioning mechanism has guidance means for guiding thedough carrier in the two mutually perpendicular spatial directions and acontrol unit to actuate the drive mechanism in an indexed sequence incorrespondence to said matrix configuration of the topping dispensers.4. The apparatus according to claim 3, wherein the guidance means foreach spatial direction comprises a guide rail and a carriage or slideguided by the guide rail.
 5. The apparatus according to claim 1, whereinthe positioning mechanism further comprises a lifting mechanism forraising and lowering the dough carrier, in which apparatus dispensing oftopping by the selected topping dispenser is triggered by positioningthe dough carrier underneath the selected topping dispenser and raisingthe dough carrier until a predetermined distance or an infinitesimaldistance between the dough carrier and a lower end of the selectedtopping dispenser is reached.
 6. The apparatus according to claim 1,wherein the topping dispensers are actuated passively by at least one ofthe positioning mechanism and the dough carrier for dispensing topping.7. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the positioning mechanismand the topping dispensers are configured such that dispensing oftopping by the selected topping dispenser is only triggered when thedough carrier is positioned in a predetermined manner relative to theselected topping dispenser.
 8. The apparatus according to claim 7,wherein at least one of the dough carrier and of the positioningmechanism has an engaging means for engaging in a correspondingly formedrelease means provided on the lower end of each topping dispenser, saideach topping dispenser dispensing topping only if said engaging meansand said release means are mutually engaged or are interacting.
 9. Theapparatus according to claim 8, wherein said engaging means is formed asan extension having locking recess on the peripheral edge of said doughcarrier and wherein said release means is formed as a locking extensionat the lower end of the topping dispensers.
 10. The apparatus accordingto claim 8, wherein said engaging means further comprises a couplingmember for coupling with a topping dispenser, wherein said couplingmember, while engaging with said release means, is positioned on arotational axis of said dough carrier, is associated with said toppingdispenser and is configured for driving a rotary movement of adispensing means of said topping dispenser.
 11. The apparatus accordingto claim 8, wherein said release means is coupled to a closure member ata bottom end of said topping dispenser for closing said toppingdispenser.
 12. The apparatus according to claim 8, wherein upon liftingsaid dough carrier said engaging means engaging with said release meansis moved vertically for dispensing and/or conditioning of a topping. 13.The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein in the lower end region ofat least one topping dispenser a disc provided with cut-outs andsupported in such a way that it can rotate about a longitudinal axis ofthe container, along with a closing element, are provided such that atopping dispensing rate can be controlled by at least one of the anglebetween the cut-outs and the corresponding slot, the thickness of thedisc and the speed of rotation of the disc.
 14. The apparatus accordingto claim 13, wherein the disc comprises a plurality of cut-outs ofvarying size which are distributed around the disc at uniform angularintervals and/or radial intervals.
 15. The apparatus according to claim1, wherein the dough carrier is configured to hold a freeform dough, inparticular pizza dough.
 16. The apparatus according to claim 15, whereinthe dough carrier further comprises a conveying mechanism to transfer atopped dough to a downstream processing station.
 17. The apparatusaccording to claim 8, wherein said conveying mechanism is embodied as aconveyor belt, which spans a support surface at the upper end of saiddough carrier so that said dough can be applied directly onto saidconveyor belt.
 18. The apparatus according to claim 8, wherein saidconveying mechanism comprises at least one roller extending intangential direction to said dough carrier, preferably furthercomprising a second roller in orthogonal orientation thereto, whereineach of said rollers is countersunk in a slot in said support surface ofsaid dough carrier.
 19. The apparatus according to claim 1, furthercomprising a housing with an associated refrigerating device, at leastsome of the topping dispensers being located inside the housing.
 20. Theapparatus according to claim 19, wherein said refrigerating device isconfigured for cooling the interior of the housing to a temperature inthe range between 2° C. and 7° C.
 21. The apparatus according to claim19, wherein at least one of said topping dispensers can be cooled totemperatures below 0° C.